Tango Argentino (musical)

Last updated

Tango Argentino (musical)
TangoArgentino-Dani&SilvinaValz-Obelisco2011.jpg
Tango Argentino - Dani and Silvina Valz-Obelisco in 2011
Premiere11 November 1983;40 years ago (1983-11-11): Théâtre du Châtelet, Paris, France
Productions
AwardsTony Award Nominations:
  • -1986 Nominated Best Choreography
  • -1986 Nominated Best Direction of a Musical
  • -1986 Nominated Best Musical
  • -2000 Nominated Best Revival of a Musical

Tango Argentino is a musical stage production about the history and many varieties of Argentine tango. It was created and directed by Hector Orezzoli [1] and Claudio Segovia, and premiered at the Festival d'Automne in Paris in 1983 and on Broadway in New York in 1985. The Mel Howard production became a world-wide success with numerous tours culminating with a Broadway revival in 1999–2000. It set off a world-wide resurgence of tango, both as a social dance and as a musical genre. [2] Tango Argentino recreates on stage the history of tango from its beginnings in 19th-century Buenos Aires through the tango's golden age of the 1940s and 50s up to Piazzolla's tangos. [3] Most of the dancers in the show did their own choreography. [4]

Contents

Tango Argentino was a totally unexpected hit. It violated all the rules— It was low budget, used a single set, and showcased slim, athletic professional dancers, such as Nelson Avila, along with middle-aged dancers, such as Verulazo, all on the same stage. The average age of the cast was 42 years. [2]

All this glamour attends a show that even Argentines wouldn't invest in at the outset, a show that made it to Broadway largely by accident, a show that has one set, four accordions (called bandoneons) and a couple of 38-inch waistlines. [5] (Samuel G. Friedman, NY Times 1985)

Background

In 1974, Hector Orezzoli and Claudio Segovia, two Argentine set designers, decided to put together a production about tango using the best dancers in all of Argentina. Claudio Segovia recounted that he wanted to reflect on stage the reality of tango life in Buenos Aires, therefore he looked for an authentic mixture of the different types of musicians and dancers, of children, young people and mature people: "Elegí gente que según mi juicio era la más auténtica, la más verdadera, y creo que no me equivoqué." [I chose people who, in my opinion, were the most authentic, the truest (tango artists), and I think I was not wrong.] [6]

The Solos

Juan Carlos Copes and Maria Nieves

Claudio Segovia went looking for accomplished tango dancers in Buenos Aires. He approached Juan Carlos Copes and Maria Nieves, who ran one of the most popular tango shows in the city. [7]

By the mid-1970s, Copes and Nieves had been dancing tango together most of their lives. They had begun in a working class dance hall in 1940s Buenos Aires when they were in their teens. [8] By the late 1950s, interest in tango had begun to wane due in part to a regressive government that discouraged public gatherings and later due to the cultural phenomenon of the Beatles. [9] Copes had such a love for the dance, that he decided he would not accept the death of tango. Being a lover of Gene Kelly's dance films, he decided in 1955 to do something similar with tango. He began to rehearse tango choreographies, together with Maria Nieves and other tango dancers in the basement of a factory. [9] Their shows soon became popular in Buenos Aires. [9]

Copes expressed doubts that a group of tango artists, who were often known for their huge egos, could ever work together long enough to stage such a production. He thought the idea of the show was crazy. [7] Eventually Copes and Nieves joined the cast of Tango Argentino.

Nelson Avila and Nélida Rodriguez

Segovia also approached the well-known stage dancers Nelson and Nélida. [7] Nelson Avila and Nélida Rodriguez de Aure were dancing and directing the choreography at the famous Michelangelo tango show in San Telmo at the time. They had already been dancing together in the most prominent shows in Buenos Aires, had appeared together numerous times on television, and had performed internationally. They were noted for the speed of their dance and their acrobatic steps. [7] Nelson and Nélida joined the cast.

Héctor and Elsa Maria Mayoral

The next couple added to the cast was Mayoral and Elsa Maria. They danced a different style than the others. They came from the tango salons and danced the very simple, yet very graceful dance of the crowded milonga salons of Buenos Aires. Their tango was noted for its small. playful steps. Together with Copes & Nieves and Nelson & Nélida, they comprised the three couples who were asked to perform solo routines in the original Tango Argentino. [7]

Gloria and Luis Pereyra

1987 Luis Pereyra is added to the cast. He was solo dancer at Caño 14, Casa Blanca, Michelangelo, Viejo Almacén. He stayed at the cast over 13 years. First he dances with Gloria, later on with Norma. He had very much experience on stage. His dance education has taken place in the Theatre Colon, with the Ballett Salta, Master Santiago Ayala el Chúcaro. He started on stage at the age of ten. During all the years, Luis Pereyra danced different solos with his partners Gloria and Norma, such as: El Entrerriano. Verano Porteño he danced with Cecilia Narowa, who took the part of Milonguita.Together with Nelson Avila he was in charge to rebuild the choreografies [7]

The Milongueros

Carlos & Maria Rivarola performing in Tango Argentino at Obelisco, Buenos Aires 2011 TangoArgentino-Carlos&MariaRivarola-Obelisco2011.jpg
Carlos & Maria Rivarola performing in Tango Argentino at Obelisco, Buenos Aires 2011

Virulazo and Elvira Santamaría

With the solo routines set, Segovia needed more milongueros, the social dancers from the salons, to complete the show. Nelson Avila suggested some good friends, who were well respected street dancers in Buenos Aires, Virulazo [7] and Elvira Santamaría. When Nelson and Nélida went to look for the couple, they found that Virulazo had quit tango, having become disouraged with the lack of money. Nelson went out searching for him in his old neighborhoods, but Verulazo was nowhere to be found. Anton Gazenbeek describes what happened next in his book Inside Tango Argentino. [7] When Nelson finally found Virulazo, he was working in a butcher shop with a blood-covered apron and he was noticeably overweight. Nelson described the new tango show to him, but Verulazo had no interest at all. He was done with tango. When they mentioned an audition for the show, Verulazo replied that he didn't need to audition for anyone: People already knew he was a great dancer, he had no interest in auditioning. When Nelson finally talked Virulazo [10] and Elvira into dancing for Segovia, any doubts about their tango disappeared. They were quickly added to the cast. [7]

María and Carlos Rivarola and the balance of the cast

The well known salon tango [11] dancers Carlos and María Rivarola were added to the cast, [12] Mónica and Luciano Frías, and Cecilia Narova completed the original cast of dancers. [7]

Maria Nieves dancing at Tango Argentino, presented in the Obelisco, Buenos Aires, 2011 MariaNieves-TangoArgentino.jpg
Maria Nieves dancing at Tango Argentino, presented in the Obelisco, Buenos Aires, 2011

The Music

The Instrumentals

Music for Tango Argentino was provided by Sexteto Mayor. The sextet in Argentine tango was first established by Julio De Caro in 1924. The traditional tango sextet consists of piano, double bass, two violins and two bandoneóns. Sexteto Mayor had been formed in 1973 by bandoneon players and arrangers Jose Libertella and Luiz Stazo. [13] By 1981, they were playing in Paris and Segovia approached Libertella and Stazo with his idea. Sexteto Mayor provided the music for both the Paris performance and the first Broadway performance. [7] Together they put together a musical arrangement that followed the origins of Argentine tango from its beginnings in the 19th century to the nuevo tango of Piazzolla.

Originally, Segovia had hoped to use the orchestra of the great Aníbal Troilo; however, Troilo had died in 1975. [7] In homage to Troilo, every performance of Tango Argentino begins and ends with "Quejas de bandoneón", [14] which was Troilo's signature piece.

In addition to Sexteto Mayor, Segovia recruited the great Horacio Salgán to complete the music. [7] [15]

The Vocalists

In his book Tango: The Art History of Love, Robert Farris Thompson describes tango as music, poetry and dance. [16] The poetry of tango is expressed through its songs. To complete the tango experience for the audience, Segovia included vocal performances by some of the best tango singers in Argentina. Jovita Luna and Raúl Lavié performed in the original cast from Paris to Broadway. Roberto Goyeneche sang at the world premier in Paris. [17] Elba Berón sang at the 1985 Broadway premier. [18]

Touring internationally in 1985 with Tango Argentino, Raul Lavie's voice was in great demand among Tango fans in Argentina and elsewhere. Raul Lavie (cropped).jpg
Touring internationally in 1985 with Tango Argentino, Raúl Lavié's voice was in great demand among Tango fans in Argentina and elsewhere.

Choreography and Production

The concept of Tango Argentino was to present the history of tango through its music, song and dance. With the many dance styles among the cast members, each couple was given the flexibility to do much of their own choreography. One problem was that there are no videos of the early 20th century dancers. When trying to choreograph the beginnings of tango dance, Segovia and the dancers took original still photographs from the early days of tango and laid them out in such an order as to allow them to recreate the original dance of the time. [7] Thus audiences were able to visualize the evolution of Argentine tango as both music and dance.

Unfortunately for all their hard work, the show found little support in Buenos Aires. They even had difficulty finding places to rehearse. Few Argentines thought the show had any chances of success. [5] [7]

Paris

In 1983, they finally got a break. They were invited to perform in Paris. On a minimal budget, the entire cast of Tango Argentino boarded an Argentine military transport headed to Paris. The Argentine Air Force cargo plane provided no services; they flew as cargo. [16] They had been afforded the opportunity to participate in the Festival d'Automne. [17] The show was an immediate success. The first performance in Paris received so many loud standing ovations, that Nelson Avila and Nélida stood at the front of the stage and wept after their solo performance, further exciting the crowd. [7] The show sold out for every performance with crowds standing outside the theatre unable to get tickets. The show was in such demand that it made a second tour of Italy and Paris the next year. [7]

Broadway

By 1985, Tango Argentino appeared on Broadway. Unfortunately, Nelson Avila, one of the main performers, broke his arm before the first performance, and it was in a full cast. Nelson had the doctors break the cast in two and hinged it at the elbow so he could bend his arm a little, and he danced the show with a broken arm. Also appearing were Jorge Martin Orcaizaguirre [Virulazo] and Elvira Santa Maria, Juan Carlos Copes and Maria Nieves. Tango Argentino received rave reviews from the New York critics. The show was such an immediate success that many celebrities attended the show, including Frank Sinatra, Madonna, Brooke Astor, Mikhail Baryshnikov, Helen Gurley Brown, Henry Kissinger and Claus von Bulow. Régine Zylberberg of Regine's invited the cast to dinner. Dance instructors in New York saw the demand for Argentine tango instruction triple overnight. [5]

The diversity of the dancers and the simple elegance of tango struck home with audiences who had no concept of Argentine tango before seeing the show. Russell St. Cyr, writing for The Miscellany News , the Vassar College newspaper, suggested that the production be considered for a Tony Award and was impressed with the quality of the production:

The dancers have each developed different styles, and they have brought the tango's entire rainbow to the same stage. One would never think that a simple dance could have so much diversity. [19]

Tango Argentino did not receive any Tony Awards, although it received numerous Tony Award nominations: [20] The nominations included the 1986 Tony Award for the Best Choreography; the 1986 Tony Award for the Best Direction of a Musical; the 1986 Tony Award for the Best Musical and for the revival in 1999 the 2000 Tony Award for the Best Revival.

World Tour

Tango Argentino became a world-wide hit, touring the United States, [21] then Japan (1987). On numerous tours around the world, the cast of Tango Argentno danced before the likes of Princess Diana, Jacqueline Kennedy, Ann Miller, Rita Moreno, Mikhail Baryshnikov, Rudolph Nureyev, Burt Reynolds, Kirk Douglas, Dustin Hoffman, Robert De Niro, Liza Minnelli, Katharine Hepburn, and Placido Domingo. [22] It continued to tour the world for another 15 years with many of its original cast members. [7] The final Broadway revival occurred in 1999–2000. [7] In 2011 there was a performance at the Obelisco in Buenos Aires with a few of the original artists including Maria Nieves and Raúl Lavié

Impact

When the dancers of Tango Argentino took the stage on 11 November 1983, at the Festival d'Automne in Paris, France, many consider it a turning point in the history of tango. The world of Argentine tango would never be the same. Robert Farris Thompson in the preface to his book Tango: The Art History of Love states "In the 1980s Buenos Aires barrio dancers sparked the strongest renaissance of the twentieth century, through their performance in the stage extravaganza Tango Argentino." [23]

The tango historian Alberto Paz credits Tango Argentino with the world-wide revival of Argentine tango:

Tango Argentino appeared for the first time on an international stage at the Paris Autumn Festival, which began on November 11, 1983. That run lasted one week, but those few days were enough to change history: the tango as dance resurfaced with an unexpected force, and became huge around the world. There has never been a time in history when so many social dancers are dancing Argentine tango as it was danced in the golden years of the 1940s and ’50s. [24]

In the epilogue of his book Inside Tango Argentino, Antón Gazenbeek [25] observes that the lure of the production was its "humanity:" The average age of the dancers in the original Tango Argentino was 42 years. When the audience watched a large male dancer, such as Verulazo, dance the tango, their reaction was, "I can do that." They were pulled into the show. [2] The immediate impact of Tango Argentino was observable wherever it appeared. Shortly after the 1985 Broadway premier, Samuel G. Friedman wrote in the New York Times:

From dance schools to fashion shows to the media, Tango Argentino has stirred the metropolitan imagination. Vanity Fair magazine discoursed on tango history. Women's Wear Daily devoted a centerfold to tango togs. The New Yorker published a Tango Argentino cartoon. Tango mania, quoth Vogue.

We're all tango daft, said Sandra Cameron, who owns a dance school in Greenwich Village. Courses in Beginning Tango, Advanced Tango and Tango Milonga are now populated by 124 students – three times the pre-Tango Argentino enrollment. [5]

More recently, video footage of Copes and Nieves dancing in Tango Argentino flows in and out of German Kral's 2016 documentary Our Last Tango as the two dancers reflect on the passion and turmoil of their relationship and their 50 year partnership in tango. [26]

While many see the musical Tango Argentino as the catalyst for the world-wide revival of Argentine tango in the 1990s, an alternative theory of the cause of this revival can be found in a study by Chris Goertzen and María Susana Azzi titled "Globalization and the Tango" in the 1999 Yearbook for Traditional Music. [27] The authors describe the globalization of tango using an example of the Washington, DC, musical ensemble Quintango: [28] The well-known group Quintango played in Washington, DC, at a White House gala reception for then Argentine President Carlos Menem, and then two weeks later played in Richmond, Indiana (population 40,000) at small Earlham College. The authors observe how a small town, such as Richmond, had an active Argentine tango dance group and how the audience at Quintango's performance was totally familiar with the all forms of tango music. They attribute this globalization of traditional tango music to mass media and the many tango movies of the 1980s and 1990s. Goertzen and Azzi make no mention of the musical Tango Argentino in their analysis, rather they refer to a long gradual assimilation of tango into European and North American culture in the early 20th century. They then describe the growth of tango in the tourist areas of San Telmo, Buenos Aires. The authors present the thesis that this global spread of the culture of Argentine tango reaching as far as small towns in Indiana is the result of the global effects of mass media.

1985 Broadway Playbill

The playbill of the 1985 Broadway production shows the following performances: [4]

1985 Broadway Playbill Tango Argentino
PART I
QUEJAS DE BANDONEÓN (J. de Dios Filiberto)Orchestra
EL APACHE ARGENTINO (M. Aróztegui-A. Mathón)
Two things entwine and dance the tango		Ballet
EL ESQUINAZO (A. Villoldo) [29]
Couples of "outsiders" dance the "milonga."		Ballet
MILONGA DEL TIEMPO HEROICO (F. Canaro) Juan Carlos Copes and María Nieves
LA PUÑALADA (P. Castellanos-E.C. Flores)Osvaldo Berlingeri and Orchestra
LA MOROCHA (E. Saborido-A. Villoldo)
Two young girls dance the tango "discreetly."		Gloria and María Rivarola
EL CHOCLO [30] (A. Villoldo-E.S. Discépolo)"With this tango the tango was born and, weeping, fled the mud, searching for the sky..."Elba Berón
LA CUMPARSITA [31] (G.M. Rodríguez)
European Dance Hall		 María and Carlos Rivarola
MI NOCHE TRISTE (E. Castriota-P. Contursi)"For me there is no consolation, and that's why I get drunk, to forget our love". Raúl Lavié
ORGULLO CRIOLLO (J. DeCaro, P. Laurenz) Virulazo and Elvira
Choreography: Virulazo
DE MI BARRIO (R. Goyeneche) Jovita Luna
BANDONEONESJosé Libertella, Luis Stazo, Lisandro Adrover, Oscar Rubén González
MILONGUITA The story of a young girl of the barrio, who, seduced by a ruffian, follows the road to her ruin

* MILONGUITA (E. Delfino-S. Linning)
* DIVINA (J. Mora-J. de la Calle)
* MELENITA DE ORO(E. Delfino-S. Linning)
* RE-FA-SI (E. Delfino)		Naanim Timoyko (Milonguita)
Juan Carlos Copes (The ruffian)

Nélida (The ruffian's accomplice)

Nelson (The bridegroom)

Eduardo, Mayoral, Carlos Rivarola (The cabaret's customers)

Gloria, Elsa María, Gloria Dinzel, María Rivarola (Prostitutes)
NOSTALGIAS (J.C. Cobián-E. Cadicamo)"Bandoneón, groan your gray tango, perhaps you also suffer from love...". Sexteto Mayor
CUESTA ABAJO (Gardel-Le Pera)"I carry my shame everywhere shame to have been and pain of being no more.". Raúl Lavié
EL ENTRERRIANO (R. Mendizábal)The Dinzels
Choreography: R. Dinzel
CANARO EN PARÍS (Scarpino-Caldarella)Osvaldo Berlingieri and Orchestra
TAQUITO MILITAR (M. Mores) Juan Carlos Copes, María Nieves, Nélida and Nelson, Gloria and Eduardo
Intermission
PART II
MILONGUEANDO EN EL 40 (Armando Pontier)Gloria and Eduardo
Choreography: Eduardo
UNO (E.S. Discépolo-M. Mores)"One is so alone with her pain, one is so blind in her sorrow". Alba Solís
LA ÚLTIMA CURDA (A. Troilo-C. Castillo)
"Life is an absurd wound".		 Alba Solís
LA YUMBA (O. Pugliese)Mayoral and Elsa María
Choreography: Mayoral
NUNCA TUVO NOVIO (E. Cadícamo-A. Bardi)
"Poor and alone, you are without illusion, without faith...".		Raúl Lavié, Osvaldo Berlingieri y Orchestra
JEALOUSEY[sic] (J. Gade)Nélida and Nelson
Choreography: Nélida and Nelson
DESENCUENTRO (A. Troilo-C. Castillo)"Your luck is so bad that when you want to put the last bullet in your pistol into your head--- it won't fire".Elba Berón
TANGUERA (M. Mores)Orchestra
VERANO PORTEÑO (A. Piazzolla) Juan Carlos Copes and María Nieves
BALADA PARA MI MUERTE (A. Piazzolla-H. Ferrer)
I'll toss the cloak of dawn around my shoulders, my next to last whiskey will age in its glass, my death, in love, will arrive on a tango step, and I will die precisely at six o'clock!		 Jovita Luna
ADIÓS NONINO (A. Piazzolla)Sexteto Mayor
DANZARÍN (J. Plaza); QUEJAS DE BANDONEÓN (J. de Dios Filiberto)
The dance floor fills with the sound of the orchestra, and under the spotlights, the marionettes dance.		Ballet

Some Notable Casts

11 November 1983

World Premier

Festival d'Automne [32] [7]

Théâtre du Châtelet (Paris)

10 September 1985 - 30 March 1986

Broadway Premier

Mark Hellinger Theatre [18]

Broadway, New York City

16 November 1999 – 1 September 2000

Broadway Revival

Gershwin Theatre [33]

Broadway, New York City

Jovita Lu na Singer Jovita Lu na Singer Jovita Luna Singer
Raú l Lavié Singer Raú l Lavié Singer Raúl Lavié Singer
Nel son Avila Dancer Nel son Avila Dancer Nelson Avila Dancer
Nélida Rodriguez de AureDancerNélida Rodriguez de AureDancerNélida Rodriguez de AureDancer
Jua n Carlos Copes Dancer Jua n Carlos Copes Dancer Juan Carlos Copes Guest Artist
Ma r ía Nieves Dancer Ma r ía Nieves Dancer María Nieves Guest Artist
"Virulazo" Jorge Martín OrcaizaguirreDancer"Virulazo" Jorge Martín OrcaizaguirreDancer"Virulazo" Jorge Martín OrcaizaguirreDancer
Elv ira Santamaría Dancer Elv ira Santamaría Dancer Elv ira Santamaría Dancer
Elsa María MayoralDancerElsa María MayoralDancerElsa María MayoralDancer
Héctor MayoralDancerHéctor MayoralDancerHéctor MayoralDancer
Car los Rivarola Dancer Car los Rivarola DancerMaría GrañaSinger
Mar ía Rivarola Dancer Mar ía Rivarola DancerPablo VerónGuest Artist
Luciano FríasDancerEduardo ArquimbauDancerCarlos BórquezDancer
Monica PelayDancerGloria ArquimbauDancerRoberto HerreraDancer
Cecilia NarovaDancer Alb a Solís SingerInés BórquezDancer
Tita Merello [32] DancerNaanim TimoykoSoloistAlicia MontiDancer
Roberto Goyeneche SingerElba BerónSingerCarlos CopelloDancer
Sexteto MayorMusiciansRodolfo DinzelDancerAntonio Cervila, Jr.Dancer
Gloria DinzelDancerJohana CopesDancer
Luis Pereyra Dancer
Norma PereyraDancer
Guillermina QuirogaDancer
Alba Solís Singer
Lorena YáconoDancer
Vanina BilousDancer

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Astor Piazzolla</span> Argentine composer, bandoneon player and arranger (1921–1992)

Astor Pantaleón Piazzolla was an Argentine tango composer, bandoneon player, and arranger. His works revolutionized the traditional tango into a new style termed nuevo tango, incorporating elements from jazz and classical music. A virtuoso bandoneonist, he regularly performed his own compositions with a variety of ensembles. In 1992, American music critic Stephen Holden described Piazzolla as "the world's foremost composer of Tango music".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tango music</span> Style of music originating in South America

Tango is a style of music in 2
4 or 4
4 time that originated among European and African immigrant populations of Argentina and Uruguay. It is traditionally played on a solo guitar, guitar duo, or an ensemble, known as the orquesta típica, which includes at least two violins, flute, piano, double bass, and at least two bandoneóns. Sometimes guitars and a clarinet join the ensemble. Tango may be purely instrumental or may include a vocalist. Tango music and dance have become popular throughout the world.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aníbal Troilo</span> Argentine tango musician (1914–1975)

Aníbal Carmelo Troilo, also known as Pichuco, was an Argentine tango musician.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Argentine tango</span> Musical genre and accompanying social dance

Argentine tango is a musical genre and accompanying social dance originating at the end of the 19th century in the suburbs of Buenos Aires. It typically has a 2
4 or 4
4 rhythmic time signature, and two or three parts repeating in patterns such as ABAB or ABCAC. Its lyrics are marked by nostalgia, sadness, and laments for lost love. The typical orchestra has several melodic instruments and is given a distinctive air by the bandoneon. It has continued to grow in popularity and spread internationally, adding modern elements without replacing the older ones. Among its leading figures are the singer and songwriter Carlos Gardel and composers/performers Francisco Canaro, Juan D'Arienzo, Carlos Di Sarli, Osvaldo Pugliese, Elvira Santamaría, and Ástor Piazzolla.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Juan Carlos Copes</span> Argentine tango dancer (1931–2021)

Juan Carlos Copes was an Argentine tango dancer, choreographer, and performer. He started dancing with Maria Nieves when he was 17 and she 14, and the pair later married. Copes and Nieves played a leading role in the renaissance in Tango dancing from the 1970s and, particularly, in Argentine Tango following the 1983 restoration of democracy in that country. Copes was the first to create choreographed tango stage shows and also worked on seven films. Later in his career he partnered with his daughter, Johana, from his second marriage.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Raúl Lavié</span> Argentinian entertainer and singer

Raúl Lavié nickname El Negro, is an Argentine entertainer prominent in the Tango genre.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Luis Pereyra</span> Argentine dancer and choreographer

Luis Pereyra is a dancer and choreographer of Tango Argentino and Argentine folk dances.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Atilio Stampone</span> Argentine pianist and composer (1926–2022)

Atilio Stampone was an Argentine pianist, composer, and arranger prominent in the Tango genre.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">German Cornejo & Gisela Galeassi</span>

German Cornejo & Gisela Galeassi are an Argentine tango dance duo. They have been dancing together since early 2011, currently dancing for German Cornejo's Dance Company (GCDC), performing as lead dancers for the company. , Gisela and German won the title of World Tango Champions in 2003 and 2005, respectively, at the Campeonato Mundial de Baile de Tango . Both German & Gisela have appeared in numerous TV shows, Films and have toured extensively throughout the world. They have been judges in regional tango championships in Chile, Spain, Italy, Colombia and Japan. The duo is mostly known to Anglo-speaking audiences for their appearance in the American reality television show ¡Q'Viva!: The Chosen. and recently in America's Got Talent. They were winning finalists in Jennifer Lopez & Marc Anthony's TV show Q Viva culminating in the Las Vegas stage show of the same name in May 2012, at the Mandalay Bay Arena. In June 2012 they were JLO's special guest artists at her first-ever concert in Buenos Aires.

Piazzolla's Orquesta Típica, also known as the 1946 Orchestra, was a tango orchestra formed in 1946 in Buenos Aires by the Argentine bandoneon player Astor Piazzolla. This was Piazzolla's first orchestra of his own and from this spring board he would later go on to pioneer a new approach to the genre with his Octeto Buenos Aires.

Enrique Mario Francini was an Argentine tango orchestra director, composer and violinist who played in various tango ensembles including the Orquesta Francini-Pontier and Ástor Piazzolla's Octeto Buenos Aires.

Enrique Kicho Díaz was an Argentine double bass tango musician who played in various ensembles including Aníbal Troilo’s orquesta típica, Astor Piazzolla’s first Quinteto and Conjunto 9 and finally Sexteto Mayor.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">María Nieves</span> Argentine tango dancer and choreographer (born 1934)

María Nieves Rego is an Argentine tango dancer and choreographer who starred with her long time dance partner Juan Carlos Copes in the 1983 musical Tango Argentino.

Elvira Santamaría also known by the artistic name of Elvira was acclaimed as a ballet dancer, milonguera and choreographer of Argentine tango. She was known worldwide for her role as a cast member of the show Tango Argentino, aired for the first time in 1983, for which she was nominated with the other ballerinas in 1986 at the Tony Awards for best choreographer. She danced with her husband Virulazo, they presented themselves artistically as Virulazo y Elvira.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jovita Luna</span> Musical artist

María Eugenia Luna, also known as Jovita Luna, was an Argentine singer and actress.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Maria Rivarola</span> Musical artist

Maria del Carmen Rodriguez de Rivarola, better known by her artistic name Maria Rivarola is an outstanding professional dancer, social dancer, and choreographer of the Argentine Tango. She is known for performing a specific style of Argentine Tango known as Milonguero Tango. She is also known worldwide for being a cast member of the show Tango Argentino, released in 1983, which resulted in her nomination, along with the rest of the dancers, for the Tony Award in 1986 for Best Choreography. Since her youth, Carlos Rivarola has been her dance partner. Together, they present themselves artistically as Maria and Carlos Rivarola. Maria was one of the founders of the Association of Teachers, Dancers, and Choreographers of the Argentine Tango (ATDCAT) in 2001.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nelson Avila (dancer)</span> Argentinian choreographer

Nelson Avila is an Argentine born dancer, choreographer, and instructor. He is widely recognized for his expertise and knowledge of all types of Argentine dance, including Argentine folk dances and Argentine tango. He was part of the original cast of Tango Argentino, and together with his partner Nélida, was one of only three couples to perform solo in the original production. Tango Argentino is viewed by many as the catalyst that began the 1985 revival of Argentine tango in Europe, North America and then spread throughout the world. As an original member of the cast, Nelson Avila was an integral part of that Tango Argentino revival. He has always been noted for his quick feet and athletic ability on the dance stage. Nelson is a member of Academia Nacional del Tango de la República Argentina and is recognized as an authority of tango dance, history, music, musicians and its many styles and interpretations.

Claudio Gastón Segovia is an Argentinian theatre director, producer, choreographer, scenic designer, lighting designer, and costume designer.

Roberto Herrera is an Argentinian dancer, choreographer and dance teacher, known for the Tango.

Héctor Orezzoli was an Argentine stage director, costume designer, set designer, and lighting designer. Along with his creative partner Claudio Segovia, he co-created the musical revues Flamenco Pure, Tango Argentino, and Black and Blue which were produced and staged by them on stages internationally; including Broadway in New York and theaters throughout Europe and South America. For Black and Blue, the two men won the 1989 Tony Award for Best Costume Design and were nominated for the Tony Award for Best Scenic Design and the Tony Award for Best Direction of a Musical.

References

  1. ↑ Dunning, Jennifer (8 December 1991). "Hector Orezzoli Is Dead at 38; Won Tonys for 'Black and Blue'". The New York Times. Retrieved 16 May 2018.
  2. 1 2 3 Gazenbeek, Antón (15 December 2013). Inside Tango Argentino: The Story of the Most Important Tango Show of All Time. Enrico Massetti Publishing. pp. 250–255. ISBN   9781304692023.
  3. ↑ Boutwell, Jane (21 October 1985). "The Tango". The New Yorker. ISSN   0028-792X . Retrieved 16 May 2018.
  4. 1 2 "Tango Argentino Broadway @ Mark Hellinger Theatre - Tickets and Discounts | Playbill". Playbill. Retrieved 10 May 2018.
  5. 1 2 3 4 Freedman, Samuel G. (19 December 1985). "'TANGO ARGENTINO,' THE SEASON'S IMPROBABLE HIT". New York Times. Retrieved 11 May 2018.
  6. ↑ Falcoff, Laura (10 November 2013). "Suplemento Cultural". Archived from the original on 10 November 2013. Retrieved 10 May 2018.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 Gazenbeek, Antón (15 December 2013). Inside Tango Argentino: The Story of the Most Important Tango Show of All Time. Enrico Massetti Publishing. ISBN   9781304692023.
  8. ↑ Kleiman, Dena (15 October 1985). "IT TAKES TWO WHO TANGO". New York Times. Retrieved 10 May 2018.
  9. 1 2 3 European, The New (27 September 2017). "The couple who saved tango". The New European. Retrieved 10 May 2018.
  10. ↑ "Biografía de Virulazo por Guillermo Alfieri - Todotango.com". www.todotango.com (in Spanish). Retrieved 24 May 2018.
  11. ↑ "Tango de Salon Style of Dancing – description and videos". www.verytangostore.com. Retrieved 24 May 2018.
  12. ↑ Rivarola, Carlos. "Biography of Carlos Rivarola". www.todotango.com. Retrieved 14 May 2018.
  13. ↑ Harris, Craig. "Sexteto Mayor". Pandora. Retrieved 12 May 2018.
  14. ↑ ElCachafaz09 (21 July 2011), Anibal Troilo "Quejas de bandoneon" [HQ] , retrieved 18 September 2024
  15. ↑ Bernstein, Adam (23 August 2016). "Horacio Salgán, Argentine tango composer and musical pathbreaker, dies at 100". Washington Post. ISSN   0190-8286 . Retrieved 13 May 2018.
  16. 1 2 Thompson, Robert Farris (2006). Tango: The Art History of Love. Vintage Books. ISBN   978-1-4000-9579-7.
  17. 1 2 Tango Argentino. Playbill. 1986.
  18. 1 2 The Broadway League. "Tango Argentino – Broadway Musical – Original | IBDB". www.ibdb.com. Retrieved 7 May 2018.
  19. ↑ St. Cyr, Russell (7 November 1986). "Miscellany News 7 November 1986 — Vassar Newspaper Archive". newspaperarchive.vassar.edu. Retrieved 15 May 2018.[ dead link ]
  20. ↑ "Tango Argentino Tony Awards Info". www.broadwayworld.com. Retrieved 11 May 2018.
  21. ↑ Parker, Robert A (September 1986). "Take Two for the Tango: Born on the fringes of Buenos Aires about 100 years ago, the tango is enjoying new popularity during the U.S. tour of the revue 'Tango Argentino'". Americas. 38 (5): 32–35, 64.
  22. ↑ Cowley, Vic. "A Tribute to Nelson Avila" . Retrieved 20 May 2018.
  23. ↑ Thompson, Robert Farris (2006). Tango: The Art History of Love. Vintage Books. p. 17. ISBN   978-1-4000-9579-7.
  24. ↑ Paz, Alberto (14 November 2013). "A show named Tango Argentino". EL FIRULETE. Retrieved 14 May 2018.
  25. ↑ "Antón Gazenbeek | Tango". tango-dancers.com. Retrieved 23 May 2018.
  26. ↑ Taylor, Ella (14 April 2016). "'Our Last Tango': A Dance Movie With A Personal Storm At Its Center". NPR.org. Retrieved 21 May 2018.
  27. ↑ Goertzen, Chris; Azzi, María Susana (1999). "Globalization and the Tango". Yearbook for Traditional Music. 31: 67–76. doi:10.2307/767974. JSTOR   767974. S2CID   193119083.
  28. ↑ "QuinTango Home". QUINTANGO. Retrieved 21 May 2018.
  29. ↑ "EL ESQUINAZO - Fairbanks Argentine Tango". sites.google.com. Retrieved 10 May 2018.
  30. ↑ "El Choclo - Fairbanks Argentine Tango". sites.google.com. Retrieved 10 May 2018.
  31. ↑ "La cumparsita - Fairbanks Argentine Tango". sites.google.com. Retrieved 10 May 2018.
  32. 1 2 "Tango argentino | Les Archives du Spectacle". Les Archives du Spectacle (in French). 11 November 1983. Retrieved 8 May 2018.
  33. ↑ The Broadway League. "Tango Argentino – Broadway Musical – 1999 Revival | IBDB". www.ibdb.com. Retrieved 8 May 2018.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.